Tokonoma
Encyclopedia
Tokonoma also referred to simply as toko, is a Japanese term generally referring to a built-in recessed space in a Japanese style reception room, in which items for artistic appreciation are displayed. In English, tokonoma is usually called alcove
. The items usually displayed in a tokonoma are calligraphic and/or pictorial scrolls
and an arrangement of flowers
. Bonsai
and okimono
are also sometimes displayed there, although traditionally, bonsai were considered to be too dirty for such a highly respected place. The tokonoma and its contents are essential elements of traditional Japanese interior decoration. The word 'toko' literally means "floor" or "bed"; 'ma' means "space" or "room."
When seating guests in a Japanese-style room, the correct etiquette is to seat the most important guest with his or her back facing the tokonoma. This is because of modesty; the host should not be seen to show off the contents of the tokonoma to the guest, and thus it is necessary not to point the guest towards the tokonoma.
Stepping within it is strictly forbidden, except to change the display when a strict etiquette must be followed.
The pillar on one side of the tokonoma is usually made from wood, specially prepared for the purpose. It can range from a seemingly raw trunk with bark still attached, to a square piece of heart wood with very straight grain. The choice of toko-bashira determines the level of formality for the tokonoma.
American architect Frank Lloyd Wright
was influenced by Japanese architecture. He translated the meaning of the tokonoma into its western counterpart: the fireplace
. This gesture became more of a ceremonial core in his architecture.
(14th-16th century). In the shoin
style architecture of this period, it was called oshiita (押板）and basically was a wall space where scrolls would be hung and a raised dais in front of this would be for setting an incense burner, vase for flowers, and candle holder.
Alcove
Alcove , a vault) is an architectural term for a recess in a room, usually screened off by pillars, balustrades or drapery.In geography and geology, the term Alcove is used for a wind-eroded depression in the side of a cliff of a homogenous rock type, famous from sandstones of the Colorado Plateau...
. The items usually displayed in a tokonoma are calligraphic and/or pictorial scrolls
Hanging scroll
A hanging scroll is one of the many traditional ways to display and exhibit Chinese painting and calligraphy. Displaying the art in such way was befitting for public appreciation and appraisal of the aesthetics of the scrolls in its entirety by the audience. The traditional craft involved in...
and an arrangement of flowers
Ikebana
is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as .-Etymology:"Ikebana" is from the Japanese and . Possible translations include "giving life to flowers" and "arranging flowers".- Approach :...
. Bonsai
Bonsai
is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
and okimono
Okimono
Okimono is a Japanese term meaning "ornament for display; objet d'art; decorative object", typically displayed in a tokonoma "alcove" or butsudan "Buddhist altar"....
are also sometimes displayed there, although traditionally, bonsai were considered to be too dirty for such a highly respected place. The tokonoma and its contents are essential elements of traditional Japanese interior decoration. The word 'toko' literally means "floor" or "bed"; 'ma' means "space" or "room."
When seating guests in a Japanese-style room, the correct etiquette is to seat the most important guest with his or her back facing the tokonoma. This is because of modesty; the host should not be seen to show off the contents of the tokonoma to the guest, and thus it is necessary not to point the guest towards the tokonoma.
Stepping within it is strictly forbidden, except to change the display when a strict etiquette must be followed.
The pillar on one side of the tokonoma is usually made from wood, specially prepared for the purpose. It can range from a seemingly raw trunk with bark still attached, to a square piece of heart wood with very straight grain. The choice of toko-bashira determines the level of formality for the tokonoma.
American architect Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
was influenced by Japanese architecture. He translated the meaning of the tokonoma into its western counterpart: the fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
. This gesture became more of a ceremonial core in his architecture.
History
Tokonoma first appeared in the late Muromachi periodMuromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
(14th-16th century). In the shoin
Shoin
' is a type of audience hall in Japanese architecture that was developed during the Muromachi period. The term originally meant a study and a place for lectures on the sūtra within a temple, but later it came to mean just a drawing room or study. From this room takes its name the shoin-zukuri style...
style architecture of this period, it was called oshiita (押板）and basically was a wall space where scrolls would be hung and a raised dais in front of this would be for setting an incense burner, vase for flowers, and candle holder.
Further reading
- "Theorizing about the Origins of the Tokonoma," in Chanoyu Quarterly no. 86 (1997).